Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"Lian Sheng, I'm Back"

The officer's voice continued through the phone, "The note was just one sentence, saying he had urgent business to attend to and asked you not to worry. He also... also asked us to give you a protective talisman."

A protective talisman.

The very one he had personally given to Lian Sheng.

Cen Lin's hand holding the phone jerked violently. An even more intense panic instantly seized his heart.

Lian Sheng would never leave without saying goodbye, nor would he lightly disregard his instructions.

Something grave must have happened.

Almost by instinct, he fumbled for his own phone. His fingers shook so badly he entered the unlock code wrong twice. He dialed the number etched in his memory, but was met with only the cold, monotonous busy tone.

Once, twice, three times...

No one answered.

The last trace of warmth in Cen Lin's eyes completely vanished, leaving only churning chill and agitation. His hand clenched tightly into a fist, then slowly relaxed. "Officer Wang, I'm sorry, I have to go immediately."

...

Lian Sheng knew he couldn't leave too many words, couldn't leave any trace that might give him away. Cen Lin's keen insight would see through any lie at first glance.

He could only leave the most harmless excuse, the most reassuring phrasing, and entrust that personally tied protective talisman to the officer, as the only sense of security he could leave behind.

When he stepped out the door, the wind was cold, scraping against his face with a numbing, slightly painful sensation.

The spiritual energy was severely disordered. The oppressive feeling coming from the direction of Kunlun grew heavier and heavier. Not daring to use major spells, he could only repeatedly perform the most feeble, most spirit-consuming minor teleportation spells.

Each flash of spiritual light only carried him a short distance. Upon landing, his steps were unsteady, his spiritual power aching dully within his meridians.

He hurried on, slipping several times, his body colliding with the rough mountain walls. His clothes tore, his skin bled, but he would only pause, press a hand to his burning forehead, and press on. "Lian Sheng, you can do this. Don't give up. The Elder and the baby are waiting for you!"

The sky darkened quickly. Fog rolled in layer by layer, obscuring the path ahead. He couldn't discern the direction, only relying on the pull in his bloodline, inching step by step towards Kunlun.

Midway, his spiritual energy ran dry once. The teleportation spell dissipated halfway through, its light fading. He pitched forward, his elbow striking a rock with a dull thud, the pain leaving him breathless for a long moment.

Pushing himself up slowly with his fingertips, his palms scraped and bleeding, he silently wiped them and once again gathered a wisp of weak spiritual energy. "It's... it's okay. I'm the strongest Little Lotus Pod of this generation. I'm the young master of the Xianlian Clan... I will definitely make it!"

When he finally saw the outline of Kunlun Mountain, his heart sank first.

The once clear and spiritual mountain range was now shrouded in a layer of gloomy mist. The valley was no longer the familiar sight.

The black water was far more rampant than before.

"How... how could it be like this..."

Thick as ink, it silently flooded the clan's dwellings, bubbling with fine foam. Wherever it passed, plants and trees withered silently, even the rocks covered in a layer of deathly black stillness.

It was a suffocating silence.

Lian Sheng stood at the shore, his fingertips trembling slightly, his gaze constantly scanning the grassy area not far away. "Sister Dandelion, Brother Little Stone, Sister Little Daisy... where are you?"

But as far as he could see, there was nothing.

He raised his hand, condensed an extremely faint spirit-probing spell, and gently sent it into the black water.

The spiritual energy sank down, down, passing through layers of cold, vile filth. But no matter how intently he focused his senses, the water's depths remained an empty void.

No echo, no presence.

No spiritual pulse fluctuations, no life force of his clansmen, not even a trace of residual consciousness.

As if the entire clan had been utterly erased.

His throat tightened. He tried another spell, probed again. Still, only deathly silence. The black water was like an abyss, swallowing all connection, all warmth, and all the familiar auras he knew.

He tried to take another step closer. The evil aura at the edge of the black water immediately coiled around the hem of his robe, lightly scorching it, turning the fabric to ash.

He retreated half a step, a dull ache welling up in his chest.

The wind suddenly grew stronger. The black water churned, surging into waves half a person high, crashing against the shore. Splashes landed on the back of his hand, stinging with a numbing pain.

The foul, evil energy seeped through the air into his nostrils. He coughed, suppressing the metallic taste in his throat, his gaze fixed dead on the center of the black water.

He couldn't just stop here.

Gritting his teeth, he condensed a protective spiritual light around his heart meridian and stepped into the edge of the black water.

The evil aura instantly surged madly, coiling around his ankles and dragging him inward. The spiritual barrier emitted faint cracking sounds, the pain making his spine stiffen.

Forcing himself forward a few steps, he performed another wide-range spirit probe. But the black water seemed alive, fiercely isolating all perception, not letting a single trace through.

Just then, a sudden undercurrent swirled beneath the black water. A stronger oppressive force shot straight up, as if something was watching him from below.

Alert, Lian Sheng's heart lurched. He retreated abruptly. Almost simultaneously, a black wave crashed towards his face. He dodged sideways but was caught by the residual force on his shoulder, staggering and crashing into a rock behind him with a muffled grunt.

His shoulder burned with pain. His spiritual energy was in disarray again.

Leaning against the rock wall, he caught his breath. His gaze swept over the entire clan settlement, and he suddenly remembered the Sacred Land.

The Kunlun Sacred Land—there was an ancestral grand array there.

Turning, enduring the dull pain within him, he once again performed a teleportation spell. The spiritual light was so faint it almost extinguished. Upon landing, he half-knelt on the ground.

When he looked up, his heart relaxed slightly. The golden light of the Sacred Land was still there. A faint yet resilient barrier shimmered before him, firmly blocking the black water outside. Despite the churning evil filth beyond, inside remained pure and tranquil.

Lian Sheng immediately performed a communication hand seal.

His fingers trembled, his spiritual power unstable. He formed the seal twice before succeeding.

A moment later, an extremely faint, almost breaking echo came from outside the barrier, the voice trembling slightly. "Is... is that Lian Sheng?"

It was the Elder.

So the clansmen hadn't perished in the black water.

Relief washed over Lian Sheng. "It's me! It's Lian Sheng! I'm back! Elder Grandpa! Clan Leader! I'm back! Lian Sheng is back!"

When the black water broke the seal, the Elders had evacuated with the children in time but were trapped by the evil filth in a crevice outside the barrier. They couldn't enter, couldn't leave, only barely holding on with the last of their array's power. Their spiritual energy was long exhausted. The children cried from hunger. Some Elders, exhausted from their efforts, were already growing weak.

Lian Sheng's heart tightened. He didn't hesitate.

He raised his hand, began to activate the sacred land's great formation, opening a crack that was both incredibly narrow and short-lived.

Barely wide enough for a single person.

Disregarding the corrosive black water, he charged straight out. Evil energy instantly wrapped around his limbs, like countless fine needles piercing his flesh. He gritted his teeth, making no sound, and condensed his spiritual power into a thin shield, sending the elders and children into the sacred land to catch their breath.

As he was sending the last two elders, the black water suddenly turned violent.

A powerful undercurrent surged from below, forming a massive whirlpool that yanked fiercely.

Lian Sheng instinctively pushed the elder forward, but he himself was caught by the whirlpool. Evil energy instantly pierced his barrier, slamming hard into his heart meridian.

A sweet, metallic taste filled his throat—a mouthful of blood he choked back, not daring to spit it out. He desperately gathered his strength to break free, finally retreating into the sacred land. The gap closed immediately, and he slumped against the stone wall as if all strength had left him, his vision darkening in waves.

Once inside the sacred land, everyone breathed a temporary sigh of relief. One elder touched his chest, tears and snot streaming down his face, saying, "Truly... heaven intends to destroy our clan!"

Lian Sheng slowly steadied himself. "Elder Grandpa, Lian Sheng won't let anything happen to you. I found out I can actually suppress that stuff."

Another elder asked doubtfully, "Is that true, Lian Sheng? This is no joking matter. You shouldn't have risked returning for us old men. This place is far too dangerous..."

"It's not like that, Elder Grandpa." Lian Sheng shook his head. "Clan Leader Grandpa taught me that I must never abandon my own clansmen..."

With that, his gaze swept over the crowd. "Where is Clan Leader Grandpa? Why isn't he here?"

Hearing this, the elders exchanged glances, their faces instantly falling. "This..."

Seeing this, Lian Sheng's heart sank as if he had sensed bad news. "What exactly happened? Where is Clan Leader Grandpa?"

"He..." The Grand Elder suddenly sighed. "The Clan Leader has already passed away."

"No... impossible, how could that be?" Lian Sheng's eyes instantly reddened. He frowned slightly, shaking his head slowly as he stared at the Grand Elder. "I spoke with him last time I returned. He said he'd wait to hold my child..."

"It was that very time," the Grand Elder continued. "The day you returned, his primordial spirit completely extinguished. You were pregnant then, and your health was poor. We feared something might happen, so we kept it from you."

Clan Leader Grandpa was such a good person, how could he... and on the very day he returned, while he was blissfully unaware and filled with joy, his primordial spirit silently extinguished.

"Why didn't you tell me..." Lian Sheng's voice was so light it seemed to float, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably. His eyes were terribly red, but he bit his lip hard, refusing to let the tears fall. "You knew perfectly well I would return... I should have seen him off on his final journey."

The Grand Elder averted his gaze, his voice hoarse. "Telling you would only have distracted you. You were pregnant then, and your heart was set on Kunlun. We couldn't let anything happen to you."

These few words left Lian Sheng with no retort.

He was the clan's young master, its future pillar, yet he was also a junior who failed to see his closest kin one last time.

Clan Leader Grandpa had protected the clan lands and protected him with his life. He couldn't just collapse now.

Taking a deep breath, Lian Sheng suppressed the surging emotions. When he looked up again, his eyes held a resolve that seemed beyond his years.

"Elder Grandpa, I want to purify the black water."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder immediately said, "No, it's too dangerous. Once we've had a chance to recover, we will attempt it ourselves. You must not take such risks!"

"If I don't do it, who will?" Lian Sheng asked softly, his gaze calm yet unyielding. Those eyes, which usually only seemed exceptionally adorable, now seemed to hold an unfathomable darkness.

"If the black water isn't removed, Kunlun will never know peace. The respite Clan Leader Grandpa bought with his life cannot be wasted like this." He paused, raising a hand to press against his own chest. "I am the young master of the Xianlian Clan. This is my responsibility."

Before the elders could dissuade him further, Lian Sheng had already turned and walked toward the sacred land's barrier.

But as soon as he approached, the black water seemed to sense his intent, suddenly turning violent. He hurriedly channeled his magic to resist, yet upon the first collision, he suffered a severe backlash.

The evil, filthy power, like a living thing, fiercely counterattacked, surging along the pathways of his spell into his body. Lian Sheng's entire body stiffened, a piercing pain shooting through his fingertips. The light of purification was instantly suppressed, shrinking into a ball.

He grunted, taking half a step back, the lotus pattern on his palm trembling slightly.

"Lian Sheng! Stop now!" the elders urgently cried out.

But he gritted his teeth and raised his hand once more.

He couldn't rest.

If the black water wasn't purified for a single day, his clansmen would be trapped here forever.

He steadied himself, walked to the barrier, and raised his hand, gathering the purification spell.

But the black water grew increasingly fierce, as if provoked. Wave after wave crashed against the sacred land's barrier. The spiritual light dimmed bit by bit; cracks spread slowly.

He increased his spiritual power output, his meridians aching from the strain. Evil energy surged back along the spell, rampaging wildly within him.

He grunted, falling to one knee.

Purification was ineffective; instead, he was being restrained by the black water.

Worse still, the auras of the elders within the sacred land grew weaker and weaker; the children's cries grew fainter and fainter. He could clearly sense several threads of vitality slowly dissipating.

Gritting his teeth, he forcibly summoned another breath, once again activating the purification spell.

This time, he drew upon the power of his own bloodline. Golden light suddenly surged violently, clashing with the black water. A dull roar echoed between heaven and earth, shockwaves scattering in all directions.

But from within the black water, a denser, more ferocious black pillar suddenly coalesced, slamming straight into his spiritual light.

His spiritual power was instantly forced back.

Lian Sheng was sent flying backward by the impact, crashing heavily against a stone pillar of the sacred land. Finally unable to hold back, he spat out a mouthful of blood. It fell to the ground, instantly sizzling and smoking as it was corroded by the dispersing evil energy.

The spiritual power within him was in chaos, his meridians damaged, his bloodline power excessively depleted. His vision whitened in waves.

Propping himself up on his arms, he tried to stand again, but even lifting a fingertip was difficult.

The black water still churned; the barrier still trembled. The auras of his clansmen outside grew weaker and weaker.

He closed his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously clenching.

But at that very moment, an extremely faint, extremely warm aura suddenly rose from the depths of his heart.

It was the aura Cen Lin had left upon him.

Not a talisman, but a person.

Lian Sheng's eyes snapped open.

He no longer fought head-on. Instead, he fused that wisp of warmth with his own bloodline power, gathering the purification spell anew.

The golden light was no longer fierce, but fine and tenacious. It slowly seeped into the black water, gradually dissolving the evil filth. The black water fiercely counterattacked, crashing against him again and again. He was thrown back time after time, yet each time he struggled to his feet once more.

The pace of purification was slow, agonizingly slow.

The black water surged again and again, nearly breaching the barrier. His spiritual power was exhausted repeatedly, nearly causing him to faint. The elders' auras grew so faint they almost vanished several times, only to be forcibly stabilized by his spells.

Rising and falling, back and forth.

Until the last trace of black water was suffused with golden light and slowly dissipated, the layer of murky haze between heaven and earth gradually faded away.

The Kunlun Mountains once again revealed their pure and ethereal outline.

Lian Sheng stood rooted to the spot for a long moment.

His spiritual energy was utterly drained, his entire body ached, and he didn't even have the strength to lift a hand.

He gazed at the valley restored to its pristine state, at the elders and children finally brought into the sanctuary, before finally letting his eyes fall shut. His body went slack, and he slid down the stone pillar to sit.

"Lian Sheng!"

"Lian Sheng!"

"..."

Cen Lin hung up the phone and was on the move almost instantly.

There were no extra movements, no extraneous emotion, only an ice-cold intensity pressed to the extreme in the depths of his eyes.

He followed the last lingering wisp of Lian Sheng's aura, his path steady, his speed fast, the air around him oppressively heavy.

No words were spoken along the way, no stops were made.

As he approached Kunlun, the evil aura had dispersed, leaving only an empty, pure silence.

He pushed the car door open and stepped out. His pace wasn't fast, but each step was unnervingly steady.

Passing through the mountain forest, crossing the rocky slope, he finally stopped by the lake that had cleared.

Everything had changed.

The elders, holding the children, sat slumped to the side, their auras faint. Lian Sheng lay on the grassy bank of the lake, his clothes stained with blood, his eyes tightly shut, motionless.

No rise and fall.

No warmth.

Not a trace of life.

Cen Lin stood in place, paused for a moment. The hand hanging at his side, the knuckles whitened, clenched until the bones ached. His breathing remained steady, yet his chest felt as if it had been shattered, cold and stiff.

Sealed memories returned in full force at this moment.

Fragments deep in his memory, never awakened before, exploded all at once.

"Doctor Cen, do you eat lotus seeds?"

"Just have a baby with me!"

"Of course, I'm the most robust Little Lotus Pod of this generation!"

"Lian Sheng..."

He slowly crouched down, his fingertips reaching with a feather-light touch toward Lian Sheng's neck.

No pulse.

He checked the heart meridian next.

Utter stillness.

Cen Lin's eyelashes trembled ever so slightly, just that. He remained crouched there, looking at Lian Sheng's pale face, silent as a frozen mountain.

He clearly remembered everything now, yet it wasn't the imagined heart-wrenching agony. His brows furrowed tightly, as if disbelieving his own judgment, and he shakily reached to check Lian Sheng's breath again.

No... no breath...

How could there be none?

Impossible, impossible... something must be wrong, impossible...

Impossible!

The pain was real.

Pain that felt close to shattering.

The last faint glimmer of light in his eyes extinguished completely, leaving only dead, silent darkness.

He reached out, gently gathering Lian Sheng into his arms. His movements were steady, his touch light, yet already trembling slightly. He rested his chin atop Lian Sheng's head, still not uttering a word.

The entire world was quiet, so quiet only the wind remained, so quiet it was almost cruel.

Until the Grand Elder, supporting himself, spoke in a hoarse voice: "Cen Lin... Lian Sheng, he might still live."

Only then did Cen Lin slowly lift his gaze. His eyes were faint, heavy, without a ripple, yet already filled with red veins. His voice was extremely cold, extremely brief: "How."

The elder explained in a low voice.

"It's true," the Grand Elder said. "He possesses a Celestial Lotus body. His heart meridian isn't severed, only his soul breath has temporarily scattered... It needs time for gentle nurturing and spiritual power nourishment. As long as... as long as we guard that last thread of vitality in him, he will wake."

After listening, Cen Lin asked no further questions. He directly scooped Lian Sheng up into his arms, turned, and walked away. His steps were steady, his back straight. From beginning to end, he made not a single unnecessary sound.

**

Lian Sheng slept for a very long time. It was as if he was submerged in a boundless fog, weightless yet carrying an indescribable heaviness. He wanted to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt glued shut. He wanted to lift a hand, but his limbs felt filled with lead. He could only let his consciousness drift and sink.

Warmth wrapped around him, entwined with a cold fragrance, yet Lian Sheng's consciousness didn't truly settle. Instead, it was dragged into deeper chaos.

It wasn't the boundless fog anymore; it was the churning black-red evil aura by Kunlun Lake. The stench choked him, nearly suffocating. In his ears were the elders' weak cries. Before his eyes were his own blood-stained clothes, and the hollow pain in his chest, a pain that couldn't even grasp his soul breath.

He wanted to run, wanted to turn back and find Cen Lin, but his limbs seemed glued by the evil aura. He could only watch helplessly as that mass of black mist, like a sharp sword, pounced toward him. The moment it pierced his chest, he clearly saw Cen Lin's figure in the distance.

That man was charging over frantically, red veins crawling across his eyes, his roar torn apart by the wind, yet he couldn't even touch a single finger to him.

"Doctor Cen—!"

Lian Sheng struggled violently, a broken cry of pain escaping his throat. But in reality, he only furrowed his brows tightly, his eyelashes trembling fiercely, his fingertips digging into the bedsheet, his face deathly pale.

This was the second month Lian Sheng had been in a coma.

Outside the window, the leaves had turned pale yellow, but the temperature inside the room was always adjusted to be warm and comfortable, not a single draft able to penetrate.

Cen Lin sat by Lian Sheng's bedside, almost never leaving his side.

He was using a cotton swab dipped in warm water, gently moistening Lian Sheng's dry lips, his movements so light he dared not apply pressure.

The morning news played softly in the living room, originally just to keep the house from falling into dead silence. But now, a serious news bulletin suddenly interrupted.

"This just in: This morning, the city's Public Security Bureau, in a joint operation with the Market Supervision Administration and the Ecological Environment Bureau, launched a surprise raid targeting Luo Jingtong and the Luo Group's pharmaceutical research facilities."

"The investigation confirmed that Luo Jingtong has long been involved in multiple serious illegal activities, including unauthorized drug manufacturing, unapproved human and biological experimentation, and illegal dumping of toxic wastewater. Evidence also indicates that he has intentionally harmed citizens under particularly egregious circumstances. Currently, Luo Jingtong has been taken into criminal custody, the relevant laboratories have been sealed, and the case is undergoing further legal proceedings."

The news was brief, forceful, each word clear and distinct, reaching Cen Lin's ears.

The hand holding the cotton swab stilled for half a second. He didn't turn around, his expression unchanged, only the deep, cold darkness in his eyes softened faintly, almost imperceptibly.

Cen Lin slowly set down the cotton swab, his fingertips gently brushing Lian Sheng's pale cheek. His voice was as low as a whisper, only audible to the person on the bed.

"You hear that?"

"Luo Jingtong, who harmed your clan, has been arrested."

"He can never hurt you all again."

"So you..."

Can you wake up soon?

But Lian Sheng remained trapped in that murky unconsciousness, unable to wake.

He slept fitfully, his brows always slightly furrowed, his long lashes fluttering now and then, as if struggling desperately in a nightmare yet unable to break free from that thick fog.

Occasionally, faint, broken whimpers would escape his throat, unclear in words, enough to make your heart ache.

"Lian Sheng," he called softly, his voice hushed, afraid to disturb, yet afraid he wouldn't hear, "I'm here."

The only reply was Lian Sheng's long, faint breaths.

Cen Lin never grew impatient.

He would pour the nutrient soup given by the elders into a small porcelain spoon, blow on it until the temperature was just right, then carefully ease open Lian Sheng's tightly closed lips, feeding him spoonful by spoonful.

If a little liquid spilled from the corner of his mouth, he would immediately wipe it away with his fingertip, his fingers trembling slightly.

He was afraid.

Afraid of feeding too slowly, afraid of feeding too little, afraid that this bit of spiritual energy couldn't sustain his scattered soul essence.

At night, Lian Sheng's nightmares intensified.

He would suddenly clench his fists, his fingertips digging deep into his palms, murmuring, "Don't come... go... Doctor Cen, go..."

Each time, Cen Lin's heart felt as if it were being fiercely squeezed, the pain stealing his breath.

He would immediately lean over, gently gathering Lian Sheng into his arms, letting him rest against his chest, one hand steadily supporting his back, the other stroking his hair, comforting him over and over: "I won't go, no one can hurt you. The evil energy is gone, your home is clean, and I'm here."

His voice was very low, carrying a tremor even he hadn't noticed.

In his dream, Lian Sheng seemed to grasp that familiar scent of cold fragrance. His tense body slowly relaxed a little, but his eyes still didn't open. Instead, he instinctively burrowed closer into his embrace.

Cen Lin held him, his chin resting against his soft hair, remaining motionless for a long time.

The person in his arms was light, soft, breathing, warm, yet those eyes that always sparkled when looking at him never opened.

He didn't dare close his eyes.

Didn't dare sleep deeply.

Every time his focus lapsed would bring back the scene by Kunlun Lake in his dreams: Lian Sheng lying on the grass, clothes stained with blood, no pulse, no warmth, like a completely withered bloom.

That image was like a knife, repeatedly shredding his nerves.

Whenever this happened, Cen Lin would suddenly wake, jerking his head down to check Lian Sheng's breath. Only when his fingertips touched the warm, faint airflow would his tense spine slowly relax, yet his heartbeat would be alarmingly fast.

Missing his father, Kangkang would often cry in the room. The elders had no choice but to bring the child over, soothing him with spiritual energy.

Both babies were at home, each as delicate as carved jade, yet Cen Lin paid them little mind.

All he ever wanted was just Lian Sheng.

That was all.

Why was even heaven against him?

When he looked back again, the elder had already soothed Kangkang to sleep, and the news in the living room had long since switched back to regular programming.

The room returned to quiet.

Cen Lin took Lian Sheng's slightly cool hand again, wrapping it in his own palm, warming it inch by inch.

The storm outside had ceased.

All he could do now was wait.

Wait for him to wake.

Wait for him to come home.

**

In the eighth month of Lian Sheng's coma, the hospital, short-staffed, had no choice but to forcibly recall Cen Lin from his leave.

Thus, Cen Lin was thrust back into a whirlwind of work, leaving early and returning late. During the day, only a few elders could care for Lian Sheng.

He always left before dawn. Before departing, he would always sit by the bed for a while—first checking Lian Sheng's temperature, then warming his hand with his palm for a moment, finally leaning down to press a kiss as light as a snowflake on his temple, his voice hushed: "I'll be back soon. Wait for me."

No response, only Lian Sheng's steady yet still faint breaths.

Cen Lin tightened his grip on his fingers, then finally turned away, his spine straight, only pausing for a moment at the door as he closed it.

He was afraid that if he left too slowly, he wouldn't be able to bear to go; even more afraid that if he returned too late, he might miss the moment his eyes opened.

Work at the hospital piled up like a mountain. Due to his multiple professional qualifications, the hospital could only assign him to handle partial duties in two departments, waiting until new doctors were trained before he could return to focusing solely on his original specialty.

Every day was basically a continuous cycle of emergency room, surgeries, and consultations. Cen Lin remained the calm, decisive Doctor Cen, the dark circles under his eyes heavy and unyielding, yet he never showed a hint of vulnerability in front of others.

Only, each time he checked his watch, his fingertips would tremble instinctively, his mind repeatedly flashing to the image of Lian Sheng lying in bed.

Brows slightly furrowed, lashes lowered, complexion pale as paper.

The only comfort was the messages from the elders every two hours.

"Lian Sheng's temperature is normal today, more stable."

"He swallowed the soup more smoothly than usual, hardly any spilled."

"His lashes trembled several times, as if he might wake."

Cen Lin always replied as soon as possible, with just two words: "Thank you."

His fingers brushed over the words "eyelashes fluttered" on the screen, and his hand holding the phone tightened slightly.

At the evening shift change, he all but bolted from the hospital, racing home like a whirlwind.

The moment he pushed open the door, the warm light inside, wrapped in the familiar, cool scent of incense, washed over him. He kicked off his shoes impatiently and strode into the bedroom.

Lian Sheng was still lying in bed, while the elders were clearing away the empty soup bowls. Seeing him return, they quietly left, leaving him in solitude.

Cen Lin walked to the bedside, leaned over to check his breathing first, then felt for his temperature. Only after confirming everything was normal did he finally let out a slow sigh of relief. He crouched by the bed, pressing his cheek to the back of Lian Sheng's hand.

Lian Sheng's hand was still slightly cool, but it carried a hint of vitality that hadn't been there before.

Cen Lin closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Lian Sheng's palm. Exhaustion crashed over him like a flash flood—the days of frantic travel and constant tension finally found an outlet in this moment.

"I'm back," he whispered, his voice hoarse. "Lian Sheng, I'm back."

As soon as the words left his lips, he felt his wrist being gently grasped.

The touch was feather-light, yet it made Cen Lin's body freeze instantly.

He jerked his head up, staring at Lian Sheng in disbelief.

"Author's Note"

Almost finished now.